Media Kit - Arts Club Theatre Company

A NOTE FROM BILL MILLERD, ARTISTIC MANAGING DIRECTORA SEASONAL JOURNEYThe Arts Club has a long history of presenting plays and musicals appropriate to this season. One of themost endearing (and enduring) successes has been Its’ Snowing on Saltspring, which we premiered in1985 at Seymour Street. Nicola submitted her idea for the play when, with the assistance of a 100 thanniversary grant from the City of Vancouver, we initiated a program of inviting playwrights to submitideas for works that would have a connection to our city. Of course Salt Spring Island is not Vancouver,but enough city-folk flock there that we accepted the idea that the setting could be considered local.Nicky’s wonderful sense of the absurd, often seen on-stage as an actress, shone through in the piece,and her affection for the holiday season infused her play with the appropriate tone of off-kiltersentiment. The original production was directed by Larry Lillo and featured Janet Wright as Mrs. Claus.In various revivals actors including Bob Frazer, Bernard Cuffling, Nicole Robert, and Beatrice Zeillinger (ina different part), and Nicola herself have graced our stages. The original design team of Ted Roberts,Phillip Clarkson, Marsha Sibthorpe, and Phillip Tidd has contributed greatly to the production’s success.Since 1986 the play has been revived in various versions including It’s Snowing on Saltspring Tra La (a1988 musical with songs supplied by Harry Kalensky), and a successor, It’s Blowin’ on Bowen, producedat the Granville Island Stage in 1993. Nicola has been commissioned to write a new work for the ArtsClub as part of our Silver Commission’s program.It’s Snowing on Saltspring is about family and working in theatre creates a family atmosphere—theactors you see on stage are a family, even if only for a few weeks. At this time of year I salute all thosewho bring you these shows: the production staff and the many theatre artists who create the work yousee. Over our previous 49 years, there have been many who have helped to make the Arts Club what itis today, in its 50 th season including the members of our Board of Directors who have overseen manychanges since the days of the Seymour Street Stage in 1964. Thank you for being part of the Arts Clubfamily, and the best to you and your family at this time of year.